Messianic Christian: The central theme of Judaism and Christianity should be the Messiah
Christianity (including “Messianic Judaism”) makes the man Jesus the focal point of their religion. For them, everything centers on Jesus, the first century Jewish man. He is exalted as the creator of the whole world (Colossians 1:15-17), controlling the universe, both visible and invisible, even from his cradle when he was a baby, holding it all in his hand. It is little wonder then that such a belief has led to one messianic to emphatically declare: “The central theme of Judaism and Christianity should be the Messiah.”
But does the Bible support such a world view, does it focus its attention on any man, even the Messiah?
The Hebrew Bible, quite amazingly, has little to say about the Messiah. Unlike popular Christians books that scream about “three hundred prophecies about Jesus!”, it is in fact quite difficult to locate explicit verses even potentially pertaining to any messianic figure (in any sense of the word, either the traditional Jewish one, but certainly the Christian one!). There are some but they are but very few, and most of them are not even very explicit and fleeting. It almost seems that G-d didn’t want his people to obsess over messiahs but to focus on Him and Him alone. However, we can find a reference after reference about G-d, loud and quite clear. Finding the Messiah in the Bible is very hard, but finding G-d is very easy. The Bible is filled with words about G-d, He is always front and center, with Messiah appearing as a seeming afterthought, a mere tool in G-d’s arsenal. That’s because Messiah is a promise to King David, he’s part of G-d’s plan, but he’s not the plan himself! When we come to the prophets and their descriptions of the World to Come, the silence on Messiah is quite deafening. He is not at the forefront of things at all. He’s called a prince, he has to bring sacrifices, he has to make sure his sons do not take away land that belongs to other Israelites. The Bible spends far more ink on describing the Third Temple than it does on the Messiah. In fact, the Bible uses far more words to describe what will become of the Jewish people than in does on Messiah!
Shouldn’t we conclude from all this that the central theme of Judaism and the rest of humanity should be G-d and Him alone and not Messiah (or any man for that matter), since it is G-d and not the Messiah (about whom the Bible has little to say) who is the focus of the Hebrew Bible, from cover to cover? To make a man the central focus of one’s existence is bad enough, but to make him into G-d and bow down to him as to the Almighty, that’s idolatry and gross sin.
Daily Minyan 
Like one of the “messianic” preacher said “Simeon hold the creator of the universe in his hands”. What? When you see it like that, it is striking idolatry to see G-d as a baby! A god that cannot do anything, that needs to be carried into the arms of others…
The heart is deceitful above all things, and when it is sick, who will recognize it? Cursed is the man who trusts in man (ANY MAN even Jesus) and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart turns away from the Lord. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord; the Lord shall be his trust.” Jeremiah 17:5-9 (not in order)
“Like one of the “messianic” preacher said “Simeon hold the creator of the universe in his hands”.”
To a Christian this shows the humility of G-d, that He would lower himself to become a human being. The Christian doesn’t realize that it is he himself who lowers G-d to his own level! The modern Christian doesn’t realize how prevalent in the ancient world was this idea of conjuring up powerful gods who would come down to earth in human form to dwell among mortals!
“The Christian doesn’t realize that it is he himself who lowers G-d to his own level”
Isn’t it the definition of idolatry? When we think about it, people carved images to try to understand and to imagine god. It is the same thing with pictures of Jesus or imagining Jesus as G-d. They want to relate to G-d in a physical way, but G-d is spiritual. So they create an image to facilitate their worship of G-d, but by doing that, they are actually creating a god of their imagination, they are lowering the Creator to something He is not, thus nullifying their worship by making or worshipping an abomination.
You wrote “Christianity (including “Messianic Judaism”) makes the man Jesus the focal point of their religion. For them, everything centers on Jesus” But where do you get this from. Christendom may focus on jesus as their god, but in christianity there are enough Christians who do know that Jesus is not God, but the son of God. For those Christians is the main focus , as the Jews and Muslims on the Only One god, though as Christians they also look up at the human being who did manage to do not his will but the Will of his heavenly Father, to whom he also prayed and learned us to pray to.
As Remi says right, but forgets that it are only part of Christians, who lower God to their level, those Trinitarian Christians are guilty of idolatry. This they are in many ways, first having more than one god, secondly also often using pictures for that god or graven images, which is not allowed to have about God.
dailyminyan.is right to say “The central theme of Judaism and Christianity should be the Messiah.”” It Should, but we do see that the majority in Christendom have no eye nor ear for Christianity and what is really written in the Holy Books (Torah, Nebim, Kethubim Aleph and Kethubim Bet)
If you agree (in last paragraph of your comment) that the center of your life should be Jesus, then why do you disagree with this post at all?
Chritadelphians believe that even though Jesus wasn’t god, it’s still appropriate to worship him. As it says on this site:
“If the Lord was appropriately worshipped in the days of his mortality, how much more should he be worshipped now? Hebrews 1 cites a series of Old Testament passages showing the currently superior status of the Son of God to angels.”
So, what they are doing seems to me even worse, at least one some level, than what trinitarian Christians are doing. How so? One can say that at least the trinitarians believe (albeit mistakenly) that Jesus is god, and thus worthy of worship, while their Chritadelphian brethren claim to KNOW that Jesus is only a man, and they STILL worship him, committing idolatry with someone they know full well is a creature!
One important distinction to add Gene, in orthodox Christianities Jesus being G-d means as a matter of doctrinal course that G-d is not limited to a physical man, or a particular Church.
Dear Christadelphians. I think the main reason that the Trinity is so popular for the xtians, is that without it, it makes even less sense. In the Beginning was the word and the word was a god. The word was a god, but we should not have any gods before the face of Adnoai. If jesus was not the L-RD, then you are committing an offence worst than the Trinitarian who make an offence by putting an image to g-d. Trinitarian try to worship the Creator and Him alone. That they think that Jesus is G-d is wrong, but you actually putting a god before the Creator of the Universe. Jesus received worship, forgave sins and was the Rock of Israel, according to his own words. But to say somebody else was doing that is actually worst than saying that Jesus was G-d.
I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
“You shall have no other gods before me. “You shall not make for yourself an image…”
It’s clear that the author of this has misunderstood what Jesus actually meant.
First let me say; I to was a devout christian for many years ago leader in a very large organisation, I to sought Messianic teaching until Jesus was forced out of my life
I studied original teaching of the Jews, visited Jerusalem on the holiest days and stayed for months
Then god spoke directly to me, yes!! God spoke to me.
Now when people say they speak to god everyday they are called devout
When someone says that god speaks to them everyday they are called crazy.
However he does.
Religion was never Gods intention
It’s an evil conflict between human being’s and should be abolished
“It’s clear that the author of this has misunderstood what Jesus actually meant.”
James, only Jesus himself would know what he actually meant, assuming that the words attributed to him in the NT are even authentically his (a big assumption, especially when it comes to the gospel of John). But he’s been dead for quite a while now, so we can’t ask him. We do, however, have the New Testament and a couple of thousands of years of Christian interpretations of it.
James,
“Then god spoke directly to me, yes!! God spoke to me.
Now when people say they speak to god everyday they are called devout
When someone says that god speaks to them everyday they are called crazy.
However he does.
Religion was never Gods intention
It’s an evil conflict between human being’s and should be abolished”
Buddhists, Confucians, Pentecostal or “Spirit-filled” Christians, Sufi Muslims – you name it, they all get spiritual experiences. Anyone seeking spirituality will find it.
Here’s the problem, though. Bad spiritual energy is everywhere, and it’s available for all, without any prerequisites. When someone hears what they call god or a higher power, or the universe speak to them, this is most definitely klipot, the shells, the extraneous, common, mundane spiritual forces. They present themselves as feelings of euphoria, or great spiritual revelations, etc.
The reason most people get this kind of response from this side of spirituality is because they haven’t purified themselves.
When you submit to HaShem, the only God, and you destroy the shells around your heart which are lusts of all kinds, money, food, sex, honor, and you don’t purify yourself via Torah and mitzvot, through speaking to HaShem in your own words in nature, aimed at nullifying your natural inclination to HaShem’s will (this is called hitbodedut), then you’re going to be hearing from the side of evil, no matter what kind of feeling you have.
R’ Nahhman (‘Nachman’) of Breslov said that when a person does the above process I described, and he nullifies the lusts of his heart, thereby circumcising it, then the very thoughts of his heart are the words of the Living God. Because he purified himself to the point that his own inclination, emotions, etc, don’t interfere. In actuality, HaShem sends messages to a person every day, in hints, in words said to him, in events, calling him to repent and seek Him. When he does, then the thoughts of his heart will become God’s words.
Non-Jews must drop idolatry and follow the 7 universal laws of Torah. This is how he serves HaShem. The Jew must do the 613. Either one can hear from God and understand His messages, hints, etc. That takes spontaneous prayer, in one’s native language, alone, for at least an hour every day. Without that, the Torah and mitzvot, all of one’s service of HaShem become dry and lifeless, because the connection will have been lost. This thing called hitbodedut is a must, every day.
That’s the real path. Anything else is a bunch of malarkey and it will all mislead you, entirely.